1. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Dec. 1 st – November Reading Logs are due. Remember, our goal is 175 minutes of reading! You can do it! Dec 2 nd – Christmas Show 9:30am and 7pm Dec. 8 th – NO School Dec. 9 th – December Project is due Dec. 11 th – Report Cards Jan. 22 nd – First Grade Prayer Service Please check our school website for additional news and events. First Grade News November 30 th – December 4 th December’s Project Reading Project Designing a Christmas tree of book recommendations We can’t wait to see everyone’s creativity! Feel free to type your recommendations and attach them to each ornament. You may add additional ornaments (real or fake), garland, etc. to your tree. We look forward to transforming our hallway into a winter wonderland! This will be the last project of 2015. We understand that this is a busy time of year. We hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with good food, friends, family, and fun! Get wrapped up in a good book! A hearty breakfast and healthy lunch will help fuel the body for learning! This is an eventful time of year. Please make sure your child is getting a good night’s sleep. Have a wonderful week and a blessed holiday season! Ho Ho Ho … Only a few weeks to go! Christmas Program December 2 nd Please note, students should arrive at 6:45pm for our evening show. All students should attend both shows. Attire: Students should wear Christmas colors (red, green, and white) to school on Dec. 2nd. NO jeans! Students should bring their gym uniform to change into after our morning show. This will prevent our nice Christmas clothes from getting dirty at lunch or on the playground.

2. Daily Reading Practice Daily reading should consist of fluency practice, sight word practice, and free-choice reading. Break these into separate times to prevent them from feeling time consuming to your child. Fluency Practice Poetry Practice (5 minutes a night) Echo or choral read poems or short stories together to model expression and fluency. Sight Words (5 minutes a night) Don’t forget to practice the Dolch sight word booklet on a regular basis. Five minutes of daily sight word practice can make a big difference! Also, please have your child practice reading the weekly words that are attached to our spelling list. These words are in conjunction with our weekly phonics/spelling skills. Reading these words will help your child apply our phonics skills. Free Choice Reading (5-10 minutes a night) Allow your child to select a book at their reading level to read aloud to you. When time allows, read to your child. This will inspire them and help them grow as readers. Our Christmas show is almost here! Please practice the carols below. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful The First Noel Away in a Manger We Three Kings Joy to the World Below are some items to ask Santa for: Pencils and pencil top erasers Glue sticks Crayons Colored pencils Writing journal (for home) Peace and Light First Grade Prayer Service Mark your Calendar: January 22 nd at 2:15pm. Our prayer service theme is Peace and Light. For this special prayer service, your child will need one battery operated window (taper) candle. Plastic candles please. These candles can be found at most stores during this time of year. Make sure that your child’s candle has a battery and that their name is on the bottom. Candles should be brought in no later than January 12 th. First Grade Community Service Project Theme: Thanking Community Helpers In conjunction with our reading unit, we will be learning about people who live and work in our community. During writer’s workshop, students will learn how to write friendly letters and create messages to thank community members who help us every day. Along with our notes of appreciation, students will be filling candy bags to give to these individuals. This holiday season is a perfect time to reflect upon our many blessing and to thank those who help us. Curriculum Notes In math, we will continue with subtraction. Please practice addition and subtraction facts at home. In religion, we will make advent wreaths as we prepare for Christmas. Our reading focus in on long i. During our writer’s workshop, we will learn how to write friendly letters. In science, we will begin to learn about animals that migrate.

3. Spelling Words Long i (CVCe) Phonics: Long i vs. short i – This week, students will identify the difference between long i and short i sight words. Last week, students differentiated between long a and short a sight words. Please read the list of long i vs. short i words that are attached. This will help your child to recognize the different in the vowel sounds. Also, practice the additional long i sight words that are attached. Sight word practice should be part of our child’s daily reading practice routine. Reading & Spelling: Our whole group story this week is, Who Works Here? This story is based on people living and working in a neighborhood. People that work in our community help us in many ways. As part of a community service project during this holiday season we will be thanking people who work in our community. Students will learn how to write letters to thanks others who help us. Please practice spelling these words each evening. Our spelling test will be on Friday. like bike ride dime smile hide time ice white kite who work Don’t forget to practice your long i sight words on the reverse side! Thank you. High-Frequency Words: outside sunshine driveway write Words to READ people live work who out Spelling Words: *Challenge Words:

4. Long iShort i Timtime finfine slimslime kitkite hidhide bitbite ripripe pinpine dindine

5. bite drive fire five life like mile mine ride side size mice time white wide wife wire write dime pine tire chime ripe wise slime hike fine lime wipe rise kite hide bike smile ride file Long i Sight Word List drive ice shine chive tile swipe pile nine while vine line whine